


Reapers Inc. (Season 2)

by BrandonJT



Series: Reapers Inc. [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-01-09 05:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12269919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrandonJT/pseuds/BrandonJT
Summary: The American branch of Reapers Inc. have to handle more than just death. As the holiday season begins, Anita, Belle, Will, Abe, and Dwayne deal with romance, drama, and a new employee. Their job isn't easy, and their personal lives are about to get even tougher.





	1. Episode 7: The Day After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita, Belle, Will, Abe, and Dwayne recover from the night out they had.

The episode opens on a black screen, before Belle suddenly wakes up, panting. Her hair is frizzy and her eyes have bags underneath them. She narrates over the scene.

::Belle: Every day is a gift.

The scene cuts to her drinking hot tea, hissing as the sun shines through her blinds. Clearly hungover, she turns away.

::Belle: You don't always like the gifts you get, of course.

Will rolls off his bed and falls onto the floor, groaning in pain. Abe snores loudly and drools onto his pillow.

::Belle: But you can do what you want with it. Make the best of it.

Dwayne wakes up to see a butterfly tattoo on his lower back, two women and two men in his bed, and a goat chewing on his alarm clock. He rubs his head and yawns.

::Dwayne: Huh.

Anita is sitting in bed, sipping a mug of coffee and looking out the window quietly to see the sun rise. Belle brushes her hair and smiles into the mirror.

::Belle:...I have no idea what happened last night.

Abe attempts to put on his tie unsuccessfully, before giving up and throwing it to the side. Will pulls his hat over his face, half asleep. Dwayne cautiously taps on one of the women's shoulder.

::Belle: Even gifts you don't like at first can turn out better than you could imagine.

With a sigh, Anita looks at her phone to see texts from Charlie. She stands up and puts her hands on her hips. Belle puts on lipstick and pulls up her boots.

::Belle: The only way to find out...is to keep going.

Anita pulls out of her driveway, Will chugs a cup of black coffee without cream or sweetener in it, Abe gets out of bed, the people in Dwayne's bed wake up, and Belle opens her door to see the sun shining.

* * *

Abe walks down the hall, clean shaven and his hair cut. He grins and stops at Belle's desk, slamming his hands down on it. The hungover secretary jolts in her seat and looks around frantically.

::Belle: Sir!

The manager smiles down at her and begins blabbering on, Belle wincing at his loud voice. Will sips a cup of water as he stands next to Maria, the two of them watching in awe.

::Maria: What is...this?

::Will: He gets like this every time he has a hangover.

Abe proudly presents a paper that says "SOBER FOR..." with a single tally mark on it. The blonde smiles warmly at her boss.

::Abe: I'm quitting drinking.

::Belle: That's great, Sir!

He nods with a grin on his face. Maria looks over at her coworker, raising an eyebrow.

::Maria: What about that?

Will gets a stack of papers out from under his desk, each one saying the same thing as the paper Abe's holding up. Maria sighs and nods, walking away.

::Belle: Sir...

She blushes slightly and looks down as she asks her question.

::Belle: Where's Anita?

Abe leans in and narrows his eyes.

::Abe: I thought you two were still angry at each other because of you having a crush on her boyfriend?

Exasperated, Will groans and walks back to his desk. A confused Belle shakes her head.

::Belle: That never happened, I don't date men, and we got over our little fight a while ago, Sir.

He briefly thinks this over before shrugging and answering her question.

::Abe: It's her day off today. And who had the crush on her boyfriend? Was it Maria?

She sighs deeply as the scene cuts to Belle and Will on their breaks, sitting outside the museum's back door. She sighs as he looks down at her, taking a puff of his cigarette.

::Will: You're usually a lot more chipper.

The secretary nods as she holds up a cigarette, Will lighting it for her. She takes a deep breath and looks out at the street.

::Belle: I just feel worried. You know how talkative I get when I'm tipsy.

He slowly nods as a short montage shows Belle talking on and on throughout the years as she gets drunk with her oldest friend.

::Will: What's the problem with that?

Belle shrugs as she smokes her freshly lit cigarette, staring out.

::Belle: Something just feels...off.

He grunts and stands up, brushing off his pants. She soon follows as they turn to the door.

::Will: You'll be alright, Belle. I hate to say it, but you've taught me that things usually work themselves out.

Will walks through the door, as Belle stands there alone for a moment.

::Belle: Yeah...I hope so.

She takes a deep breath and heads through the door. Back in the office, Abe pokes his head outside his door and smiles.

::Abe: Can you come into my office, Will?

The accountant groans and nods, reluctantly standing up from his desk and walking over. Abe sits down in his chair and welcomes Will to sit in the seat opposite of him.

::Will: If this has to do with a party, please leave me out of it.

The manager quickly shakes his head and Will sits down, crossing his arms. Abe sighs and smiles.

::Abe: Last night's talk made me realize something.

Will raises an eyebrow and thinks it over in his head.

::Will: You remember that?

Abe nods and does a thumbs-up.

::Abe: I remember everything that happens when I'm drunk. It's one of my talents.

The accountant quickly waves it away.

::Will: Never mind, what did you realize?

He takes a deep breath and puts his hands together.

::Abe: I don't want to be THAT guy anymore. From now on, if I say something offensive, I want to know. The world is always moving forward, and so am I.

Will looks seriously impressed, a small smile on his usually bleak face.

::Will: That's...that's great, Abe. Why are you telling me?

He grins and claps his hands together excitedly.

::Abe: I want to promote you to the role of manager's assistant. You'll tell me when I'm being offensive, and how I can improve the office. You've never let me get away before, so I don't expect you to now.

The younger man raises an eyebrow and grunts.

::Will: Don't you mean assistant manager?

The manager strokes his chin slowly, mulling it over before shaking his head.

::Abe: No, I mean manager's assistant.

Will sighs but nods.

::Will: I'll do it. Now, first of all, we could use some new accountants.

Abe writes this down on a notepad.

::Abe: I'll get on it!

Realizing how helpful this could be, Will goes on.

::Will: Now, about the constant parties...

As Will talks on, the scene fades out.

* * *

Dwayne is awkwardly looking at the four people in his bed. One of the women smiles at him and he smiles back.

::Woman: Hi, Babe!

::Dwayne: Hey, Hon.

The other three seem angry for some reason as they slap him across the face, one after the other. He rubs his cheek and pulls on a shirt, watching as the goat runs off. Dwayne sighs and gives chase.

::Dwayne: This keeps happening...

The goat charges down the stairs as Dwayne leaps after him, landing on the goat's back.

::Dwayne: That hurt for me as much as it did for you, man...

As the animal runs rampant, Dwayne hangs on for dear life, trying to wrestle the alarm clock from it's mouth. It bleats as he smirks.

::Dwayne: Jokes on you, I've done this before.

He turns towards the back door, and Dwayne slides it open at the last second, flipping off the goat like an acrobat. The animal leaps over his fence as Dwayne's phone rings. He takes out his Motorola DynaTAC and answers the call. His eyes go wide as he hears what it's about.

::Dwayne:...Damn.

The scene cuts to Dwayne writing down a list of expenses from the night before, including a hotel room, a goat, his tattoo, limo service, and copious amounts of alcohol.

::Dwayne: Stick to tequila next time...

His girlfriend walks down the stairs and walks past the table, looking down at his list.

::Woman: I've never seen you care about finances before...

Dwayne puts his hand on his chin and looks up at her.

::Dwayne: Helen, bunny, do you remember what happened last night?

She nods and smiles warmly.

::Helen: Oh yeah! You called me from a hotel room, told me that you went out after a night out with your friends.

We see Dwayne making the phone call from the hallway, sitting on the goat's back.

::Helen: Once I got there, you were with a goat. I don't know how you got him, he was already there.

Dwayne strokes his chin, trying to recall the previous night.

::Helen: We had a nice night, you felt a strong compulsion to get a butterfly tattoo, and we met those sweet people from our bed.

The reaper is shown sketching a butterfly and showing it to a tattoo artist.

::Dwayne: Do you know why they smacked me?

Helen shakes her head and smiles.

::Helen: Your guess is as good as mine. Want some cereal?

He grunts in reply and looks out before simply shrugging.

* * *

Anita pulls her car up to the sidewalk by the cafe Charlie works at. She parks and gets out, walking up to him. He smiles lovingly at her.

::Charlie: Hey, Annie, what's up?

The expression on her face makes it clear that the conversation won't be pleasant. Confused, he raises his eyebrows.

::Anita: We have to talk about something, Charlie.

His smile fades as he seems to realize what she wants to talk about. She sighs deeply and starts talking to him.

::Anita: You're wonderful. You're sweet and handsome and someone will be lucky to have you.

Charlie rubs his eyes and takes a deep breath.

::Charlie:...I take it you aren't that person?

Anita reluctantly shakes her head and frowns. He starts to say something to salvage the relationship.

::Charlie: What did I do? How can I fix it?

She raises her hand to stop him and he nods, staying quiet.

::Anita: It's not you. I know that sounds cliche, but it's really not you. I'm in love with somebody else.

::Charlie: Oh.

He swallows and looks away from her, smiling sadly.

::Charlie: I hope that person makes you happy, Annie. You deserve that.

Anita slowly nods and smiles softly at him.

::Anita: So do you.

The two of them walk their separate ways, as we cut to Belle and Will walking outside at the end of the day. He looks down at her and grins, looking around the city.

::Will: I think I'm going to celebrate my promotion, maybe go to a few clubs. I'm thinking about getting some phone numbers...it's been a while since I've dated. I could use a wingwoman.

She smiles, proud of him, and hugs him tightly, wrapping her arms around the bulky man as best as she can.

::Belle: That's great! I think I'll pass though...not really in the mood tonight.

He hugs her back and nods as she pulls away. He walks off and waves at her.

::Will: See 'ya tomorrow, Belle!

::Belle: Bye, Will!

As she gets in her car, her phone rings. Intrigued, she answers it to hear Anita's shaky voice.

::Anita: Hey...Charlie and I broke up.

Belle seems shocked as she puts her hand over her mouth.

::Belle: Oh my God, are you okay, Annie?

The two of them talk as the scene zooms out to show Belle sitting there in her car, the bustling city always moving around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I couldn't wait until January, I just had too many ideas. I think Season 2 will be even better than the first, things certainly heat up.
> 
> See you soon!


	2. Episode 8: New Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a British accountant transfers to the American branch, Abe takes notice.

A short man steps out of a bus with a briefcase in hand. He's cute and fit, with curly blond hair, brown eyes, and a clean shaven face. He's in a jacket that's too big for him and khakis.

::Businessman: My name is Cassidy Banks.

He grins optimistically up at the Historic Funeral Museum and walks through the doors. Cassidy looks down at a card that instructs him to press the fourth and ninth elevator buttons.

::Cassidy: I worked a year at the British branch of Reapers Incorporated, and I jumped on the chance to move to the states when they needed more accountants.

The desk clerk, Shirley, smiles at him. He walks over to the desk and shakes her hand.

::Cassidy: Nice to meet you! I'm Cassidy, I have a job at the...on the...

He awkwardly struggles to think of an explanation, as she nods and glances over at the elevator.

::Shirley: I'm Shirley, if my name tag didn't give it away. Your accent is so cute!

The transfer blushes deeply and stutters, slipping over to the elevator shyly. As he steps inside, he squeaks out a reply while she raises an eyebrow.

::Cassidy: Thank you...

He takes a deep breath as he follows the card's instructions. Cassidy sighs and shakes his head.

::Cassidy: Bloody Hell, that was terrible. Hopefully I'm better with my coworkers.

Cassidy steps out of the elevator as it arrives on their floor, walking down the hallway. Anita is standing at Belle's desk, the both of them politely smiling at their new coworker.

::Cassidy: Hello, my name is Cassidy Banks, I'm-

::Belle: You must be the transfer!

He shuts his mouth and nods. The secretary grins at the branch's new accountant and Anita shakes his hand, almost looking sorry for him. He nervously raises an eyebrow.

::Anita: Anita Muertes, I'm a reaper here. I...I hope you enjoy your new job?

He slowly nods as Belle stands up from her chair. He extends his hand, but she simply hugs him. His eyes go wide as Anita watches her best friend lovingly, a small smile on her face.

::Belle: I'm the branch's secretary, Belle Donna! I think we're going to be good friends, Cass.

::Cassidy: I...nice to meet you two. I'm supposed to meet my new boss.

Belle and Anita knowingly look at each other, as Cassidy's anxiety clearly grows. The secretary quietly points at Abe's door.

::Belle: Go right ahead, Cass...

He nods quickly and walks over to the door, knocking on it. Abe answers the door and grins at his new employee, as Cassidy introduces himself.

::Cassidy: I'm your new accountant!

Abe's face goes white as he lets out a high-pitched shriek, running back into his office and slamming the door. Cassidy frowns and looks around, not knowing what exactly he did wrong.

* * *

Will walks up to Cassidy as he stands there awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. The older man grunts a greeting.

::Will: Abe doesn't like British people. Once called 'em all "limey tea drinking tyrannical bastards".

Cassidy sighs and frowns, looking up at Will, who towers over his new coworker.

::Cassidy: Oh dear. I'm Cassidy Banks, the new-

::Will: Accountant, I asked for you. I'll deal with Abe, name's William Washington. Call me Will.

He nods and shakes Will's hand, appreciatively smiling up at Will.

::Cassidy: Thank you, Will. Should I settle in?

::Will: Go ahe-

Will is interrupted by Dwayne, who seemingly appears out of nowhere, catching both of them off guard. Dwayne shakes Cassidy's hand and smirks.

::Dwayne: Dwayne White. Nice Manchester accent.

He walks off as Cassidy looks confused, turning to Will.

::Cassidy: Is he always like that?

::Will: Pretty much.

Cassidy walks over to his desk, which is across from Will's, as he's approached by Kevin. Out of concern for his new coworker, Will stays by his side.

::Will: Looks like everyone wants to meet you. He's Kevin.

::Kevin: What's my last name?

The two look at each other as Will shrugs ambivalently. Kevin looks seriously hurt as he crosses his arms and stomps off.

::Kevin: We've worked together for several years and you still don't know my last name! It's Scott!

Will sighs and shakes his head slowly.

::Will: He's sensitive.

Cassidy frowns and nods, starting to get settled at his desk as Will goes to sit down at his own.

* * *

Belle and Anita are eating lunch in the break room, a salad in front of the blonde and a sandwich for her best friend. The secretary is clearly worried about the brunette.

::Belle: How have you been doing after the...the breakup?

Anita smiles sadly and shrugs, putting her elbows up on the table.

::Anita: I have to find a new coffee shop.

Amused, Belle grins and reaches out, taking Anita's hand and squeezing it comfortingly.

::Belle: Ninety years of life have taught me that breakups are always hard. I'm sorry, Annie.

The reaper's smile grows as he holds her best friend's hand.

::Anita: I have great friends, I'll be okay.

The secretary blushes as Will walks in and seats himself between them, setting his grilled cheese down. Anita seems disappointed as she lets Belle's hand go.

::Will: Abe can be dramatic.

::Anita: We've noticed.

Belle frowns and looks out at the office, Abe creepily staring at Cassidy through his blinds. She sighs and shakes her head.

::Belle: Have you tried talking to him?

Will nods and grunts, eating most of his sandwich in one bite. Anita watches in awe of his eating habits.

::Will: Door's locked.

The secretary searches her jacket's pockets and pulls out a small key, handing it to her friend.

::Belle: I always keep a spare key, in case he accidentally locks himself inside.

Anita turns her gaze to Belle and raises an eyebrow, causing the blonde to simply shrug.

::Belle: It happens more often than you'd think.

The accountant puts the key in his coat pocket and smiles gratefully.

::Will: Thanks, Belle.

They eat their lunch in silence as Anita decides to make some small talk.

::Anita: How's the promotion going, Will?

He raises his eyebrows and looks over at Anita, who realizes she asked a stupid question.

::Will: How's your...how's the, uh...the handsome looking coffee fella.

::Belle: You mean Charlie?

::Will: Yeah. Him.

The reaper mutters her answer, looking down at her sandwich.

::Anita: We broke up.

Will seems sad for her as he awkwardly pats her back.

::Will: That was stupid of him, you're a good dame.

Anita blushes and looks to the side.

::Anita: I broke up with him...

The accountant grunts as he realizes his mistake, taking his hand away. Knowing he meant well, Belle puts her hand on his arm. Anita smiles up at him.

::Anita: It's fine, you didn't know. Thank you.

::Will: Anytime.

The scene cuts to Cassidy accidentally dropping his briefcase on the floor. He groans and reaches down for it, as Will picks it up and hands it to him. He smiles at his new coworker and sets it on his desk.

::Cassidy: Thank you. I'm having the worst luck today, it seems.

::Will: I've been there.

He seems content to walk back to his desk, but Cassidy stops him.

::Cassidy: Why does Mr. Johnson, Abe I mean, hate Brits?

Will leans on Cassidy's desk, pointing over at his office.

::Will: He served in the war.

Cassidy raises an eyebrow.

::Cassidy: Which one?

::Will: Revolutionary.

This seems to click inside Cassidy's head as he slowly nods.

::Cassidy: Ah.

Will strokes his chin and sighs.

::Will: He's not a bad guy. Hell, I'd say he's one of the few good ones out there. But sometimes he forgets that the world we live in now isn't the world he once lived in.

The new accountant puts his chin on his fist, thinking things over.

::Cassidy: I might need to transfer back. My old job wasn't perfect but...at least I felt like I belonged.

He groans and shakes his head.

::Will: No. This isn't right.

Cassidy seems surprised as Will makes his way over to Abe's office while Anita and Belle watch, looking at each other with intrigue.

::Cassidy: What are you...?

The accountant jams the key in the lock and opens Abe's door. The manager yelps as Will storms in and slams the door behind him.

::Abe: Belle gave you the key? Damn it...

Will shakes his head and crosses his arms, frowning and narrowing his eyes.

::Will: Apologize to Cassidy.

Abe glances over at the door, as if he was planning an escape, and quickly hides a letter he's writing.

::Will: What was that?

The manager sheepishly raises the paper, showing that it's a letter to Death, requesting that Cassidy be transferred back. Will snatches the paper and rips it in half, with Abe quietly dropping a penny in the "STUPID" jar.

::Will: I've watched you act like this for decades, and I stayed out of it because it wasn't my business. But you made me your assistant, and it's my job to stop you from doing these things.

Abe arches his neck back and groans like a child.

::Abe: I'd be fine with anyone else! A kraut-

Will winces at the term.

::Abe: Or a Jap! Just not...them.

Frustrated, Will rubs his forehead and sighs.

::Will: Cassidy is a good person. He doesn't deserve dealing with this. I know no one else will stand up to you, not even Death, but I won't let you treat people like this. Grow up.

He leaves the office as Abe looks utterly defeated.

* * *

Abe pokes his head out of his office, causing everyone to look up from their desks in anticipation.

::Abe: Can I have Cassidy in my office, please?

A fearful Cassidy nods and stands up, walking over to his office. Will watches them carefully.

::Abe: Thank you.

He closes the door behind Cassidy and sits down at his desk, motioning for his new employee to seat himself. Cassidy does so and looks at his boss anxiously.

::Cassidy: If this is about me transferring back, I absolutely will-

The manager shakes his head and raises his hand to interrupt Cassidy, looking ashamed of himself.

::Abe: This is about me apologizing. I have these...ideas about the world, ideas I don't want to rethink. But if I'm going to be the person I want to be, I have to change. I have to own up to my mistakes and grow, so I'm sorry, Cassidy.

Surprised, Cassidy smiles and extends his hand.

::Cassidy: Apology accepted, Mr. Johnson.

Abe grins and shakes his employee's hand.

::Abe: Call me Abe, everyone does.

He nods and stands up, walking over to the door. As he opens it, the accountant turns back to say something to the manager.

::Cassidy: Understood, Abe.

Cassidy happily walks over to his desk and picks up his briefcase by it's handle so he can leave for the day. He stops by Will's desk and smiles at him.

::Cassidy: Thank you. You risked your job for someone you just met.

Will blushes and smiles shyly, looking away.

::Will: It was nothing. I just figured it was time to stop being passive.

He nods and grins at his coworker before walking off towards the hallway.

::Cassidy: I'll see you tomorrow, Will.

::Will: See 'ya.

Anita and Belle watch Will from the latter's desk. The blonde beams up at her best friend.

:;Belle: I've never seen Will like that.

She smirks down at the secretary.

::Anita: I think he has a crush.

Belle giggles and nods with a grin.

::Belle: He'd never admit it, though.

As the two realize how similar their circumstances are, they lose their smiles and go quiet. Dwayne walks over to Will's desk.

::Dwayne: Damn, that Cassidy guy is fine.

Will nods and smiles slightly.

::Will: Yeah...he is.

Cassidy stands inside the elevator while it goes down, a hopeful smile on his face.

::Cassidy: I kind of like my coworkers. They're rather quirky...but that's what makes people special.

As it reaches the bottom floor, he steps out and the scene cuts to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I really wanted to add a sixth main cast member, and I'm very fond of Cassidy. I hope you guys end up liking him as well!
> 
> I'll see you all next time.


	3. Episode 9: Branch Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The six go on a company mandated tour of the Japanese, Mexican, and British branches.

A golden retriever in a black cloak runs down the hallway, panting as it stops by Belle's desk, where Anita is standing. They grin and pet the dog.  
  
::Belle: What a good dog!  
  
::Anita: He is pretty cute.  
  
Maria and Will stand over by the coffee machine, sipping their hot beverages. She raises her eyebrows as she sees it.  
  
::Maria: Why is a dog in here?  
  
::Will: That's Cassidy's dog, Skipper. Abe insisted that he come in to raise morale and wear a cloak. I strongly protested it.  
  
Abe gasps and claps his hands together joyously, running over to the dog and petting it. Will groans and shakes his head, rubbing his eyes as he walks back over to his desk.  
  
::Will: This is so ridiculous...  
  
Cassidy follows behind Skipper before sitting down at his desk, the golden retriever lingering nearby him. He smiles warmly over at Will.  
  
::Cassidy: I know it's a bit silly, but...it makes people happy. Can anyone really resist Abe when he looks at you like that?  
  
The camera pans over to Skipper and Abe looking at each other, the same "puppy dog eyes" expression on their faces. Will waves it away and smiles back at his coworker.  
  
::Will: It's cute. I...uh...like dogs.  
  
Maria smirks knowingly over at Will, who narrows his eyes at her and grunts. Suddenly, Death walks down the hallway and looks down at Skipper, everyone watching him nervously.  
  
::Death: What's that rat doing in here?  
  
The new accountant frowns as his dog whimpers and hides behind him. The scene cuts to Death and Abe sitting in the latter's office, with the company's CEO sitting in the manager's chair.  
  
::Death: Abe, Abey, what's that short for?  
  
Abe raises his eyebrow, confused by his question.  
  
::Abe: Abraham, sir. We've known each other for...  
  
He briefly looks down at his watch.  
  
::Abe: Over 200 years.  
  
Death waves it away nonchalantly and leans back in Abe's chair, haphazardly putting his feet up on his employee's desk.  
  
::Death: Abraham, I don't care how you run your branch. I observe over 150 branches, it doesn't matter to me if you parade that creature around the office in a cloak.  
  
The manager quietly mutters something to himself, which goes unnoticed by the CEO.  
  
::Abe: His name is Skipper and he's a golden retriever...  
  
The entity continues his speech, Abe nervous about what he's going to say.  
  
::Death: You get results.  
  
He lets out a deep breath, visibly relieved.  
  
::Death: I'm not sure how you do it, but America has one of the lowest amounts of escaped spirits in the world. Other countries have ghost problems. In Japan, they've got spirits that climb out of TVs!  
  
Abe thinks that over for a few seconds, stroking his chin.  
  
::Abe: I'm pretty sure that was a film, sir.  
  
Death shrugs and grunts, putting his skeletal hand on his cheek.  
  
::Death: Doesn't matter. I want you, and a group of your best people, to visit a few countries. Give them some pointers, inspire them. With your help, I think we can decrease the amount of restless spirits worldwide.  
  
The manager slowly nods, unsure about this.  
  
::Abe: What are these countries?  
  
His boss puts his hands together, a grin on his bony face.  
  
::Death: Mexico, Japan, and...the United Kingdom.  
  
The color leaves Abe, a horrified expression on his face. Not noticing his terror, Death stands up and gently pats the manager on the back before opening the door.  
  
::Death: Good talk. My assistant will arrange the flights for you.  
  
Abe, who has gone completely stiff, nods slowly as Death leaves his office.

* * *

 

Back in the main office, everyone looks around in confusion as they hear screaming from the inside of Abe's office. Anita raises an eyebrow and looks down at Belle.  
  
::Anita: Is there a dying cat in there?  
  
Belle frowns up at her best friend, clearly nervous about what's going on.  
  
::Belle: I've never...well, heard him, so upset.  
  
A few seconds later, a completely upright and serious Abe steps out of his office. His employees look at him anxiously about what could be so terrible that Death told him about.  
  
::Abe: Mr. Death has given me an assignment. I'm supposed to visit Japan, Mexico, and...  
  
He grits his teeth before finishing the sentence.  
  
::Abe: The United Kingdom, so I can dole out some advice on how to stop their ghost problems.  
  
Saying the name of the last country causes him to shudder and clutch his chest in pain. Relieved that it was nothing bad, the employees go back to work. Abe seems confused about why they're not as distressed as he is, but he goes on.  
  
::Abe: I'm supposed to bring a group of my employees with me.  
  
They all look up again, intrigued at the possibility of a free vacation.  
  
::Abe: I'll take my best reapers, Anita and Dwayne. I'll need Belle too.  
  
Dwayne folds his arms and nods, seemingly pleased by this. Anita and Belle grin at each other, the secretary taking her best friend's hand and squeezing it.  
  
::Abe: I suppose I should take two accountants then. How about Will and...  
  
Will groans and rubs his forehead. Abe looks at the accounting department, Kevin excitedly waving his arms and pointing to himself. The manager ignores him and turns his attention to Cassidy, who walks down the hallway. Everyone stares at Cassidy, who shyly looks around.  
  
::Cassidy: I brought Skipper home...why is everyone staring at me?  
  
Abe smiles and points at Cassidy, causing Kevin to sigh loudly and dramatically as he puts his hands down.  
  
::Abe: We're going on a branch tour to a few countries. You can help me deal with the...English branch.  
  
Cassidy frowns and mutters a reply, clearly saddened by this for some reason.  
  
::Cassidy: Oh...  
  
Before any of them can say anything more, Abe takes a deep breath and walks into his office, slamming the door behind him. Belle breaks the silence happily.  
  
::Belle: This should be fun!  
  
The scene then cuts to the inside of a plane. Anita, Belle, and Charlie are in one row, while Abe, Dwayne, and Will are in another. A quiet Cassidy has the window seat, while the two women are sitting next to each other.  
  
::Anita: You've been to Japan before?  
  
Belle nods and smiles proudly, pointing to the cross on her arm. Cassidy seems to have something on his mind, ignoring them entirely.  
  
::Belle: I'm sure it's changed since the war though, America certainly has.  
  
In the opposite row, Will is uncomfortably sandwiched between Abe and Dwayne. The manager is stuck with a frown on his face, while the reaper is sleeping peacefully.  
  
::Will: I've never seen you so unenthusiastic about anything.  
  
Abe narrows his eyes and looks up at his friend, who towers over him.  
  
::Abe: There is one country in the world worth living in or visiting. That country is America.  
  
Will shrugs and looks over at Dwayne, who slowly wakes up and rubs his eyes.  
  
::Will: You ever been to Japan, Dwayne?  
  
Dwayne clears his throat and fluffs up his afro before replying.  
  
::Dwayne: Hai, boku no tomodachi.  
  
Impressed, Will nods and sits back in his chair, yawning. We then cut to several shots of Tokyo, from the city's ultramodern skyline to a small sushi restaurant and even a towering pagoda. The six are shown walking up to an elevator in a bustling shopping center.  
  
::Anita: They have a mall for an office building?  
  
Belle looks around, taking in the sights, while Dwayne quietly eats a noodle bowl. They all step into the small elevator, the group barely fitting inside. An unhappy Abe looks down at a card with three numbers on it, all of which are the number four.  
  
::Will: Can we hurry this up? I don't think I can breathe much longer like this.  
  
Abe clears his throat and nods, pushing the number four button three times. The elevator slowly begins to go up, with Will looking cramped, Abe and Cassidy looking gloomy, Anita looking intrigued, Belle looking excited, and Dwayne keeping a neutral expression.  
  
::Abe: Here we go...  
  
The door opens and they all fall out of it, toppling over onto each other. The branch's secretary looks over at them and raises an eyebrow, reaching for the phone when she realizes something and seems to greet them in Japanese. Belle grins at her coworkers.  
  
::Belle: She says hello! She mistook us for idiots who accidentally ended up here.  
  
Will chuckles at this and murmurs something.  
  
::Will: That's not so far from the truth...  
  
They stand up and walk down the hallway, Anita looking surprised.  
  
::Anita: You can speak Japanese too? That seems like a weird Dwayne thing.  
  
Dwayne shrugs and nods in agreement. Belle smiles warmly at her best friend.  
  
::Belle: I learned it while I was a nurse. It helped out a lot.  
  
Anita raises an eyebrow and thinks this over.  
  
::Anita: What other languages do you speak?  
  
Belle considers this for a moment before replying.  
  
::Belle: Spanish. And French too! Voit?  
  
The reaper grins and when Belle walks ahead of her, shudders and looks at her lovingly. The six of them reach the secretary's desk, and Belle has a brief conversation with her.  
  
::Belle: She says that Mr. Shinigami will be out soon.  
  
The manager, a middle aged man with disheveled black hair, walks out of his office and smiles warmly at the group. As Abe steps forward, he enthusiastically shakes his hand and says something happily.  
  
::Belle: He says that he was planning on throwing a party for us, but that his assistant turned it down.  
  
The camera pans over to a tall man in a jacket with long hair that covers his eyes. Liking how Shinigami thinks, Abe grins and responds.  
  
::Abe: That happens to me a ton! No worries.  
  
While Abe greets his counterpart, the other five walk forward into the office. They spot a room where several people are napping, which causes Will to grin and walk over to it.  
  
::Will: They have a napping room? This is amazing...  
  
Cassidy, as distant as before, leans against the wall quietly. Belle and Dwayne talk to several employees while Anita walks over to him.  
  
::Anita: You okay? We haven't known each other for long, but...you don't seem like yourself.  
  
The accountant replies quietly and crosses his arms.  
  
::Cassidy: I'm fine.  
  
Anita raises her hands in defeat and approaches Belle, the both of them watching Cassidy with concern. He impatiently taps his foot and looks around the room.  
  
::Belle: I'm worried about Cass.  
  
The reaper sighs, putting her hand on the secretary's shoulder.  
  
::Anita: Me too. But whatever he's working through, he has to work through it himself. I've been there.  
  
The blonde frowns and nods, taking a deep breath before changing her expression to an optimistic smile.  
  
::Belle: You're right. Let's go talk to some employees, I bet you have a ton to share!  
  
Anita chuckles and scratches the back of her neck.  
  
::Anita: I hope so.  
  
To fill Belle's role as the translator, Dwayne slides over to Abe and Shinigami. The manager leads them over to his secretary's desk and takes out a jar filled with yen labeled with Kanji letters, telling them about it.  
  
::Dwayne: He says that he puts yen in there every time he has a stupid idea.  
  
Abe gasps and suddenly hugs the manager, taking him by surprise. Shinigami then reciprocates the hug, grinning. The scene cuts to the six of them eating at a sushi restaurant, with Abe talking to Will excitedly.  
  
::Abe: There are actually TWO countries worth living in or visiting! And I have a pen pal now! And sushi is delicious!  
  
Will laughs and smiles at his boss's enthusiasm before the scene cuts to black.

* * *

 

The scene opens on a shot of Mexico City as the sun rises. The city's cathedral, the national palace, and a street filled with vendors and bands are shown, before we see the six walk into a bell tower.  
  
::Abe: I wonder if this branch will have a manager just like me. Then I'd have two pen pals! One of them a woman!  
  
Anita crosses her arms, all of them following Abe into a vintage elevator.  
  
::Anita: Why a woman?  
  
Belle smiles and eagerly explains this to her best friend as he presses the 10th, 3rd, and 1st buttons on the elevator's panel.  
  
::Belle: All of the employees at this branch are women. It's a cultural tradition!  
  
Dwayne pulls out a comb and runs it through his afro, the five of them looking over at him with raised eyebrows.  
  
::Will: Don't you already have a dame?  
  
He nods, not understanding their confusion.  
  
::Dwayne: Helen would dig the story.  
  
They all shrug as the elevator arrives at the office's floor and the doors open. This time Abe leads the way, more confident after the last branch they visited.  
  
::Abe: You must be happy to visit your people, Anita.  
  
She raises her eyebrows and opens her mouth to say something, but opts not to. As they turn the corner down the hallway, the branch's manager is waiting for them by her secretary's desk, her arms crossed. She's a tall woman with narrowed eyes and a stern expression.  
  
::Manager: You're late.  
  
They all look around nervously, intimidated by the woman. Her secretary, seemingly used to this, smiles at them.  
  
::Secretary: This is Ms. Espantoso! We've all been eagerly awaiting your arrival.  
  
He extends his hand to her and she shakes it roughly, with Abe trying to disguise his pain and shaking his hand behind his back.  
  
::Abe: It's nice to meet you! You can speak English!  
  
She sighs and shakes her head, walking away and muttering something to herself. Worried, Abe looks at the group.  
  
::Abe: What did she say?  
  
Belle, Anita, and Dwayne frown and shake their heads, causing Abe to sigh and hang his head low. The scene cuts to Abe walking into the break room and sitting next to Belle.  
  
::Belle: How did things go?  
  
Abe shakes his head and Belle comfortingly puts her hand on her boss's shoulder.  
  
::Belle: What happened?  
  
The manager puts his hand on his chin and takes a deep breath.  
  
::Abe: Apparently she heard things about me...not good things, either.  
  
She rubs his shoulder and he sighs deeply.  
  
::Abe: I'm trying to change...I want to be a better person. I just feel like nobody will give me the chance, y'know?  
  
The secretary nods slowly and smiles softly.  
  
::Belle: I think you've improved a ton. I've known a lot of people who took me coming out way worse than you did.  
  
He turns to her and a small smile comes onto his face.  
  
::Abe: Really?  
  
She nods quickly and grins, visibly cheering him up.  
  
::Belle: Yeah! Just keep working on yourself. People will notice if you put in the effort.  
  
He takes a deep breath and beams at her.  
  
::Abe: Thank you. What are you doing in here?  
  
The smile leaves her face as she looks out the window at Anita talking and laughing with a few of the branch's employees.  
  
::Belle: I have this crush on someone...  
  
Abe raises an eyebrow, clearly oblivious to who she's talking about.  
  
::Belle: She just got out of a relationship. I should be thrilled, but...  
  
Belle sighs and rubs her forehead.  
  
::Belle: I can never work up the courage to tell her how I feel. She's a total catch, she won't be single for long...I'm worried I'll lose my chance.  
  
Abe shakes his head and smiles warmly.  
  
::Abe: I've been around for a long time. If you two are really meant to be, it'll happen. You just have to wait for the right time.  
  
She nods, the smile returning to her face.  
  
::Abe: And you're a catch too, Belle. Any woman would be lucky to have you.  
  
The secretary blushes and hugs him tightly. Although he's visibly surprised, he closes his eyes and hugs her back.  
  
::Belle: Thank you, sir.  
  
She looks back out at Anita optimistically, a hopeful expression on her face as the scene ends.

* * *

London is shown, first Big Ben and the surrounding areas, then the London Eye at night, and finally a small pub. The six of them walk into a large Victorian era palace.  
  
::Belle: It's so beautiful...  
  
Abe looks around with disgust, a permanent scowl on his face. Dwayne pulls a camera out of his afro which he takes several pictures with, the rest of them looking at him in awe.  
  
::Will: How the hell did that not fall out?  
  
The manager reluctantly leads them to the elevator. He taps the ninth button, the first button, and the ninth button once more, prompting it to take them to the British branch's office.  
  
::Belle: I'm sure it won't be so bad, sir.  
  
He grumbles and crosses his arms, looking over at Cassidy.  
  
::Abe: You'll deal with them, right?  
  
This seems to snap the new accountant out of a trance as he quickly nods and mutters something.  
  
::Cassidy: Yeah, yeah...  
  
The manager closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as the elevator's doors open into the office's hallway. They all step out, with Abe hiding behind his employees.  
  
::Belle: I'll greet them, I'm sure it'll be fine.  
  
She happily strolls down the hallway, approaching the secretary's desk. There, they see the blonde secretary kissing a British-Indian reaper, the both of them smiling at the American employees.  
  
::Secretary: Oh, excuse us! You must be the Americans, welcome!  
  
She shakes Belle's hand enthusiastically and motions towards the manager's office.  
  
::Secretary: My name is Helena Athens, Mr. Mary should be out soon! And this is my wonderful girlfriend Chloe Vida, she's a reaper here.  
  
Chloe grins and waves at them, Anita narrowing her eyes and Belle standing there with her mouth agape. An amused Will smiles.  
  
::Will: Oh boy...  
  
The branch's manager, a smiling man with gray hair and a top hat, exits his office and gleefully skips over to Abe, excitedly patting him on the back. Abe raises an eyebrow.  
  
::Manager: It's great to meet you! I'm Winston Mary, the guide here!  
  
He carefully backs up and grunts out an answer.  
  
::Abe: I thought you were the manager...  
  
Winston steps forward and smiles warmly, prompting Abe to move back again.  
  
::Winston: There are no managers here! The idea of bosses, the idea of a hierarchy, I think that it makes people feel down! And inferior! But we're all special and unique in our own little ways!  
  
This concept prompts Abe to gag, which worries Winston, who leans in.  
  
::Winston: Are you okay?  
  
The manager leans back and slowly nods.  
  
::Abe: Fine, fine...  
  
The scene cuts to Dwayne walking through the office, as he nearly bumps into a black woman with an afro, sunglasses, and a similar outfit.  
  
::Dwayne: Dwayne White.  
  
She motions towards her desk, the name plate on it identifying her as Vivian Cole. He slowly nods, the both of them with blank expressions on their faces.  
  
::Vivian: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  
  
Visibly impressed, he steps out of her way, and they both go on with their day. Cassidy walks to the break room, seemingly to hide, when he runs into a tall man with his arm around a woman. They both freeze awkwardly.  
  
::Man: Cass...how have you been?  
  
Cassidy forces a smile onto his face, trying to avoid eye contact with the man. She raises an eyebrow and looks up at him.  
  
::Cassidy: Just fine, Ethan. Had to come here for the branch tour. I'll be out of your way.  
  
He rushes off, prompting Ethan to sigh and look down at her, a frown on his face. Meanwhile, Anita and Belle are carrying on conversations with their counterparts, and Winston is giving Abe a tour.  
  
::Abe: You must miss how things were in the old days.  
  
Winston chuckles and shakes his head, a jubilant grin on his face as he leads Abe into the break room.  
  
::Winston: Not at all! Things are all so wonderful and happy now! It's been a breeze to change with the times.  
  
Abe mutters something to himself spitefully before looking in shock at a massive jar filled with pennies. The "guide" laughs and proudly presents it.  
  
::Winston: This is the brilliant jar! Whenever any of us have a good idea, we place a penny inside, and each time it gets full, we donate all of the money to a charity that conserves English landmarks. With all of these wonderful thoughts, the UK will be around forever!  
  
His eyes go wide in terror as he dramatically clutches his chest. Cassidy is shown sitting outside the building on a bench, crying quietly while Will walks through the doors and sits next to him.  
  
::Will: Homesick?  
  
Cassidy chuckles sadly and shakes his head, rubbing his red eyes as his new friend looks concerned.  
  
::Cassidy: I...I saw my ex with someone else. It hasn't even been that long...  
  
Will sighs in understanding and scoots closer to the accountant.  
  
::Cassidy: He was the whole reason I left this branch and...god, I didn't think it'd be so painful. I'm so embarrassed.  
  
The taller man shakes his head and narrows his eyes.  
  
::Will: Nothing to be ashamed of. We all get sad.  
  
Cassidy sniffles, tears streaming down his face as he looks down.  
  
::Cassidy: I ruined it. He was so perfect and...and I ruined it. I'm such an idiot!  
  
Will puts his hand on Cassidy's shoulder and clears his throat.  
  
::Will: I dated this dame once. Thought she was the one.  
  
Intrigued, Cassidy looks up at his coworker.  
  
::Will: Everyone told me that she was just looking out for herself, but...I was so blind. Love does that to you.  
  
The smaller man nods slowly as Will goes on.  
  
::Will: She betrayed me and it was a mess. I let it ruin my life. I let it consume me. I shut myself off from the world for...years. For decades. It cost me everything.  
  
Cassidy frowns and blinks repeatedly, leaning into Will's side.  
  
::Will: You're too good for that, Cass. You're sweet and optimistic and selfless. There will be someone for you, so don't let that guy control your life anymore.  
  
The accountant takes a deep breath and nods, smiling softly.  
  
::Cassidy: Thank you, Will.  
  
Will smiles back and shrugs, a light blush on his face.  
  
::Will: No problem.  
  
Back on the plane, Anita and Belle are having a conversation, Dwayne having moved next to them while Cassidy is next to Will and Abe.  
  
::Belle: I really liked that branch's employees! That Chloe girl was so nice and pretty..  
  
Anita smirks and nods at her best friend.  
  
::Anita: I preferred Helena.  
  
Belle's eyes go wide as she blushes deeply, an amused grin on the reaper's face. Abe, with a satisfied smile on his face, turns to Will and Cassidy, who is back to his cheery self.  
  
::Abe: London was as bad as I expected, and I didn't fare so well in Mexico, but Japan was a lot of fun! Maybe there is more to the world than just America...  
  
Proud of him, Will chuckles and nods, with Cass smiling in surprise. The two accountants look at each other happily.  
  
::Cassidy: It was nice to visit London, but...I'll be glad to get back to America. I've made a lot of wonderful new friends.  
  
He nudges him and they both grin as the episode ends on the plane flying back to New York City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'm sorry this took so long, there's a lot going on right now. But I love this story and these characters, so I just had to update it. I'm really proud of this episode and I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> See you with another update soon!


	4. Episode 10: Stupid Jar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe begins a contest for the employees to win the money in his "STUPID" jar.

Anita walks down the hallway, a drink carrier in her hands. She narrates over the scene as she smiles at Belle, who's visibly excited by her best friend's arrival.

::Anita: I've been getting coffee for a few of my friends lately. Found a new place after the breakup, and it was really good, so I decided to share it.

She hands Belle a piping hot cup and grins. The secretary takes it and returns the smile.

::Belle: Looks tasty!

Anita smirks and nods, clearly proud of herself.

::Anita: It is pretty damn good coffee.

Belle quietly stutters out a reply.

::Belle: Oh yeah...the coffee...that's what I was talking about...

The reaper raises an eyebrow before brushing it off and carrying the tray over to Abe's office, which he's standing outside of.

::Anita: One hot-

Abe quickly shakes his head and looks around nervously as he takes the cup. She continues in a whisper.

::Anita: One hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, large marshmallows, and hot fudge sauce.

He appreciatively grins and takes a happy sip.

::Abe: God bless you.

She chuckles and walks over to Dwayne's desk, only to find him gone. Confused, she looks down to see that his drink is missing.

::Anita: What the...?

The camera pans over to the corner of the room, where the mysterious reaper is quietly drinking his beverage. Anita heads to Will's desk and hands him one of the three leftover cups, with him smiling slightly and nodding.

::Anita: How do you drink black coffee with no sugar or cream?

He shrugs and grunts, taking a swing of the strong drink. He raises an eyebrow and points at the unmarked cup.

::Will: Who's that for?

She sighs and shakes her head, motioning towards Cassidy, who's working hard at his desk.

::Anita: I keep trying to get Cass coffee, but he refuses to tell me which kind he likes. Says he doesn't want to be a bother.

Will chuckles and nods, a grin on his face.

::Will: That's him.

Anita smirks and takes both cups out of the carrier, drinking one and holding up the other.

::Anita: So, I just get him a different drink each time. I have to get it right eventually.

The scene cuts to Anita, Belle, Will, Abe, and Dwayne standing over by the secretary's desk. She's holding a chart to record how he reacts to each cup. They all sigh in disappointment when they see his face scrunch up in disgust after taking a sip.

::Belle: Not our best results, but we'll get it, everybody!

Several cuts show Cassidy drinking different cups, with his expression slowly improving over time. One day, Anita hands him a cup, and he grins after taking a sip.

::Cassidy: Thanks for the coffee!

The five of them cheer as he realizes that they've figured it out. He narrows his eyes and sighs.

::Cassidy: Damn it!

The other employees look around in confusion as Anita and Belle high-five each other.

* * *

Everyone is busy working when Abe sets the "STUPID" jar down on Belle's desk, causing a loud thump. It clearly startles the employees, but it also catches their attention.

::Abe: Attention, everybody!

Will mutters something under his breath.

::Will: You've already got it...

Abe puts his elbow up on the jar as Belle raises her eyebrows.

::Abe: For years, whenever I made a stupid mistake, I'd place a penny in this jar. I kept it a secret for years, to spare myself the embarrassment. I'm pretty impressed with myself that nobody ever found out about it.

A montage shows Dwayne sneaking into the office and putting pennies inside the jar, Death throwing gum wrappers and trash into the jar, and Kevin trying to fish some change out of it.

::Abe: But I realized that its time to leave the jar behind.

Saddened, he wraps his arms around the jar and hugs it, visibly disturbing the employees.

::Abe: To grow from my mistakes, I can't just acknowledge them and ignore the problem. I have to work on them. This jar, this poor, innocent jar...

Will rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

::Abe: Allows me to do that. So I'm going to give away the money in it and burn it. Preferably in a volcano, but I'll settle for a match.

Their interest piqued by the promise of money, they all listen up.

::Abe: I was going to give it to an Irish independence organization, but I'm still not sure how to send money overseas. So instead, I'm holding a contest.

He pats the top of the jar as Belle raises an eyebrow, the large object blocking her view of Anita. She tries to look around it, but Abe keeps pacing, making it impossible.

::Abe: By the end of today, whoever has the most souls sent to the afterlife-

Kevin speaks up, interrupting Abe, which clearly annoys the manager.

::Kevin: What about accountants?

The manager narrows his eyes and grumbles out an answer.

::Abe: Whoever does the most work. Kevin.

Belle raises her hand and he politely smiles down at her.

::Belle: Is it going to be on my desk all day, sir?

Abe nods with a sigh and she frowns to herself.

::Abe: Having it in my office would be too tempting.

She nods and mutters something under her breath as the manager walks away.

::Abe: Get to work!

He slips into his office and they do so, with Belle struggling to move the jar. Amused, Anita grins at her best friend, who smiles back shyly. The reaper then walks over to Will's desk, the accountant jotting something down.

::Will: No, Abe, I would not like to go to a party...

She chuckles and he looks up, surprised to see her there.

::Will: Sorry, it's just instinct.

Anita waves it away and leans in, the accountant raising an eyebrow.

::Anita: I've got an idea.

Will grunts out a reply, his eyes narrowed.

::Will: Does it require my participation?

She nods with a smile and he groans, motioning for her to go on.

::Anita: We should go send off some souls together, like when I first joined.

He raises his hand to interrupt her, but she confidently continues.

::Anita: Now I know you're not crazy about working with others, but we'd both benefit from this. You get all the information you need to do your job firsthand, and I get some of the expertise Abe's always talking about.

Impressed by her plan, Will slowly nods.

::Will:...Not a bad idea, Muertes. I'm in.

The reaper grins and tries to high-five him, but he just stares at her.

::Will: This isn't going to work if you try stuff like that.

She quickly nods and sheepishly puts her hand down.

::Anita: Sorry.

The scene cuts to a montage of Anita and Will working together to calm down several souls, and the growing smiles on their faces signify bonding. The montage ends with the two on a lunch break, sitting on the stairs behind their office building.

::Anita: What do you think about Cass?

He chokes on his sandwich at her question before swallowing the bite and clearing his throat. He quietly disposes of his trash while she continues to eat her lunch.

::Will: Uh...he's nice.

She raises an eyebrow and smirks, gently nudging her friend in the shoulder.

::Anita: That's all? Really?

He blushes and looks away, crossing his arms.

::Will: You're one to talk about crushes.

Her face goes red and she nods, quietly replying.

::Anita: Fair point.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Anita decides to change the subject.

::Anita: So, what do you think of Abe trying to improve himself?

Will shrugs and smiles slightly.

::Will: He's really putting in the effort. As ridiculous as he can be...he's my friend and I'm glad to see that.

She beams and nods, finishing up her sandwich and throwing her trash in the nearby bin. As the two stand up, she turns to him.

::Anita: That jar speech was crazy though, right?

Will opens the door for her and grins.

::Will: Incredibly.

The two laugh and walk inside together.

* * *

The office is nearly cleared out, with most employees on their lunch breaks or away at work. Belle takes a sip of her drink and tries to lift the jar up off her desk.

::Belle: Damn thing!

She looks up to see Cassidy at her desk, whose eyes are wide.

::Cassidy: I don't think I've ever heard you swear before.

Belle blushes deeply and sighs, motioning to the jar.

::Belle: Sorry about that...it's just this. I really appreciate Abe trusting me with his money, but...it's kinda getting on my nerves.

Cassidy smiles and tries to lift it up himself, to no avail.

::Cassidy: Wow...that is really heavy.

The secretary nods and smirks, banging the side of it.

::Belle: Trust me, I've won enough arm wrestling contests to know when something's really heavy.

He strokes his chin and pushes against it.

::Cassidy: What if we both push together? I'm no champion, but...I think we can do it.

She grins and pushes with him, getting the jar to move slightly.

::Belle: What about the bonus, Cass? You shouldn't lose out on that just to help me...

He waves it away before quickly going back to pushing.

::Cassidy: This job's not about the money to me. I inherited...quite a lot from my parents.

Belle frowns and uses her shoulder to bump into it.

::Belle: I'm sorry to hear that. The parents thing, not the money thing.

Cassidy smiles sadly and shrugs.

::Cassidy: It's been years now, I manage. What about your family?

The two manage to shift the jar a few feet, both of them panting for air.

::Belle: Oh...well...they're...

Cassidy sits down in a nearby chair and Belle flops down in her own.

::Belle: They're all gone now. I miss them all, of course, but...my coworkers have become family to me. Will and I will always have each other's backs. Dwayne's a mystery, but we care about each other. As difficult as Abe can be, I can't imagine him not being in my life. I love them all.

A small smile comes onto Cassidy's face.

::Cassidy: That sounds nice. I haven't had a family in...years.

Belle scoffs and grins, confusing him.

::Belle: Of course you have a family. You're one of us now, Cass. I haven't ever seen Abe be so nice to a British person, Dwayne...probably likes you, Anita and I care about you a ton, and Will? He clearly adores you. You don't need to be around for long to earn a place here.

Cassidy blushes deeply and she stands up, walking over to her friend and hugging him tightly. This clearly takes the wind out of him, but he happily hugs her back.

::Cassidy: Thank you. That means a lot.

As the two pull away, Abe walks out of his office and raises an eyebrow.

::Abe: How'd the jar get there?

He slides it back into place with ease, blocking Belle's view once more. The two watch him in awe as he walks over to the watercooler.

* * *

Abe is sitting at his desk, looking down at a stack of a papers with sticky notes attached to them.

::Abe: No, a party's a stupid idea...

He unconsciously tosses a penny beneath his desk, as the camera pans down to show a pile of change and cash on the floor. He quickly realizes what he did and looks down.

::Abe: I really need to stop that...

The manager gets on the floor to scoop up the money. After bumping his head on the desk and swearing to himself, he ducks down and finds a loose paper among the dollars.

::Abe: What's this?

He crawls backwards, hitting his head again and yelping in pain, before getting out from underneath the desk with the money and the paper in his hands.

::Abe: Damn low desks!

Sitting in his chair, he looks over the paper. The camera shows that it's a list of office expenses for the month, with the most recent purchase being from a warehouse for $300.00.

::Abe: What the hell? I don't remember making that transaction...

He stands up with the paper in hand and peeks out of his office, looking around to see everyone hard at work.

::Abe: Excuse me, is anyone here good at solving mysteries?

All of his employees ignore him except Dwayne, who raises his hand. Abe grins and motions for the reaper to come over.

::Abe: I am not surprised at all.

Dwayne walks over and quickly looks at the list. After taking off his sunglasses, he puts them in his pocket and grabs a pair of reading glasses. Abe raises an eyebrow.

::Abe: How long have you had those?

The reaper puts them on and looks at Abe in confusion.

::Dwayne: Forever, man. What are you talking about?

The manager waves it away and shrugs, as his employee looks around the room. Dwayne strokes his chin and sighs.

::Dwayne: This is a warehouse, so whoever put in the order is looking to buy somethin' in bulk.

Abe's eyes go wide and he raises his hand like a student, with Dwayne looking over at him.

::Abe: Like drugs!

The reaper shakes his head, as Abe sheepishly lowers his hand.

::Abe: Got it...

Dwayne suddenly realizes something and walks into his boss's office, with Abe following behind him.

::Dwayne: You got this paper from here, right?

The manager nods and Dwayne sits in his chair, spinning around and thinking things over.

::Dwayne: Only four people are ever in this room by themselves.

Abe raises an eyebrow and the reaper points at him, then himself, then Kevin, and then a picture on the desk of Abe hugging Death, who looks uncomfortable.

::Abe: Okay, me, you, Death...those three make sense. But Kevin?

Dwayne nods and Abe narrows his eyes angrily.

::Dwayne: Yeah man, you really need to get a lock for your door.

He jots that down on a sticky note as Dwayne goes on.

::Dwayne: Who has access to company money?

Walking over to the vault behind his desk, Abe knocks on it.

::Abe: Just me and Death.

Dwayne folds his arms and raises his eyebrows.

::Dwayne: It must be you. Death's got unlimited money, why would he dip into our budget?

Shocked, Abe gasps and strokes his beard.

::Abe: Oh yeah...I remember ordering all those pencils from that warehouse...

The reaper stands up and pats his boss on the back.

::Dwayne: Really? 300 dollars in pencils?

Abe shrugs and scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed.

::Abe: We were running out!

Without a word, Dwayne nods and goes to walk out of the office.

::Abe: Y'know, you would've made a good detective.

Turned away from Abe, Dwayne smiles sadly and opens the door. The two walk out into the office, as a delivery man carrying two bags full of pencils walks down the hall.

::Delivery Man: 3000 pencils for Mr. Abraham Johnson?

He jogs over and takes the bags, with the delivery man lifting up the jar with some difficulty.

::Delivery Man: This should cover it, thanks!

As the change jangles within the jar, the employees all look up and watch as he takes their prize away. After he leaves, they all glare over at Abe, who chuckles nervously and raises his hands.

::Abe: We were running out...

The employees groan in frustration as the scene cuts to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> And we're back! The season's half over, but I've still got some surprises up my sleeve.
> 
> The next episode will be out much sooner, see you then everybody.


	5. Episode 11: On the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita and Dwayne bond while guiding souls together.

The episode opens in a police captain's office, his porn 'stache and "Y.M.C.A." playing on the radio indicating that it's the 1970s. A young officer walks into the room and sets a file down on his desk, piquing his boss's interest.  
  
::Police Captain: What is it, Rogers?  
  
The officer walks over to the captain's side, opening up this file.  
  
::Police Officer: This guy is the most promising recruit I've ever seen.  
  
He looks over the file, seemingly surprised by its contents.  
  
::Police Officer: He passed every test with flying colors. He's some kinda hidden genius.  
  
The captain looks up at his employee, intrigued with their new recruit.  
  
::Police Captain: Physicals?  
  
He nods in response, turning the page to show him the test results.  
  
::Police Officer: He's crazy fast and crazy strong. Amazing at sneaking around too, I have no idea how he gets around the room so quietly.  
  
Impressed, the captain closes the file and hands it to his subordinate.  
  
::Police Captain: Sounds perfect for the job. Call him in for an interview.   
  
Quickly nodding, the officer walks over to the door and opens it.  
  
::Police Captain: Wait a second, I didn't hear his name.   
  
He turns back to his boss and answers before walking out of the room.  
  
::Police Officer: White. Dwayne White.  
  
The captain nods and goes back to his work as the door closes.

In the office, the elevator doors open to reveal Dwayne, who walks down the hallway. His afro's been cut, leaving him with short and curly hair, and the sunglasses he usually wears are off. He passes by Belle's desk, eliciting a warm smile and a happy greeting from her.  
  
::Belle: Dwayne! I love the new look!  
  
Abe and Will watch him walk into the room from the coffee machine. Confused, the manager squints at Dwayne.  
  
::Abe: Who's that?  
  
Will looks at his boss, in awe of what he just said.   
  
::Will: That's Dwayne. He's worked for you for 40 years. He just got a haircut and took off his glasses.  
  
After taking a moment to process the information, Abe shrieks in terror. The accountant lets out an agitated groan and covers his ears.  
  
::Will: Why are you like this?  
  
Dwayne smiles at the secretary and walks over to the coffee machine. Will nods at the reaper, showing his approval, and Dwayne does the same to his friend. Anita watches them, fascinated.   
  
::Dwayne: What's up?  
  
Abe stands deathly still as he stares at the wall blankly, muttering to himself.  
  
::Abe: Change...I don't like change...  
  
The accountant grunts and snaps his fingers, catching the manager's attention. He clears his throat and shakes his head, looking at Dwayne.  
  
::Abe: Why the new...everything?  
  
His employee shrugs and slips in between them, fixing himself a cup of hot coffee.   
  
::Dwayne: I dunno, man. I wanted to stay cool, and Helen liked the look. It was the first haircut I've gotten in a while, I had baseball tickets in my afro from the 80s.   
  
Cassidy, who's passing by them, shudders in disgust as he hears that before walking away and muttering to himself.  
  
::Cassidy: This place is way more bizarre than the English branch...  
  
Abe waves it away and speaks up to catch everyone's attention.  
  
::Abe: Excuse me, can I get my best employee up here?  
  
Kevin stands up from his desk and shambles over, clearly sick.  
  
::Kevin: I'm here...boss...I've got a cold, so I may be a little slow...  
  
The manager groans, motioning for Kevin to go away.  
  
::Abe: That's disgusting, Kevin. You could get everyone sick, you need to go home.  
  
He slowly nods and walks out of the office, grabbing his coat as everyone looks at him in pity.  
  
::Abe: I meant Anita.  
  
She sighs in anticipation of one of his schemes before walking there while the rest of the office goes back to their business.  
  
::Anita: What is it this time?  
  
He gasps in offense and crosses his arms.   
  
::Abe: I can be professional too! I'm one of the most serious people I know.  
  
Everyone around them laughs at that and his face goes red.  
  
::Abe: Hey!  
  
Will looks down at his boss and raises an eyebrow.  
  
::Will: Does this involve me?  
  
The manager strokes his chin as he replies.  
  
::Abe: I hadn't thought of that, but if you want-  
  
Before he can finish, Will is already seated in front of his desk, hard at work. Dwayne starts to go back to his desk when his boss puts his hand on his shoulder. Before he can do the same to Anita, she backs up a few steps.  
  
::Abe: Anyways, I'm giving you two a special assignment. See, our success rate with those who have died in violent accidents isn't so great lately.   
  
He leans in, his eyes darting around the office.   
  
::Abe: Between you, you, and me, Death isn't happy. If I don't turn it around, well...  
  
Anita and Dwayne look surprised and concerned for their boss.  
  
::Anita: Oh my God, is he going to fire you?  
  
The manager briefly chuckles before getting completely serious again.  
  
::Abe: Of course not! It's much worse...he'll get rid of my party budget.  
  
Abe and Dwayne shake in fear as she lets out a sigh of relief.  
  
::Abe: The point is, you two are my best reapers. So I thought, why not pair you up for a day? You can easily help those troubled spirits together, it'll be fun, and most importantly, the parties will go on.  
  
She looks over at her fellow reaper with raised eyebrows.  
  
::Anita: I'm in, you?  
  
The mysterious reaper pats both of their backs and nods with a smirk.  
  
::Dwayne: Let's do it.  
  
Anita watches Abe go back to his office with a satisfied skip, and when she turns back, Dwayne's already gone.  
  
::Anita: How the hell does he do that?  
  
Belle waves over at her with a smile, prompting the reaper to visit her desk.   
  
::Belle: He had to go get his daily doughnut, Annie.  
  
She thinks that over in her head for a second.   
  
::Anita: He eats a doughnut everyday? How does he look that good then? Why didn't he get one...never mind. Thanks, Belle.  
  
Anita jogs down the hall after him and Belle calls out after her.  
  
::Belle: My pleasure!  
  
She turns the corner in hopes of catching up with him. 

* * *

On their lunch break, Anita and Dwayne are eating outside of a small cafe. They're both having paninis and sodas.  
  
::Anita: This is great...so glad that decapitated guy recommended it to us.   
  
He nods in agreement, her comment reminding them of the scene. They shiver as they remember it, before going back to their meals.   
  
::Anita: Hey Dwayne, I noticed something.   
  
Dwayne takes a bite and swallows before replying.  
  
::Dwayne: Yeah. Me too.  
  
Anita raises an eyebrow, unsure of what he means. After a few seconds of confused silence, she explains herself.  
  
::Anita: You know that police officer who choked to death on his doughnut? Why did you freeze up around him?  
  
His normally level expression falters as he looks away and clears his throat. Anita puts her hands up and quickly shakes her head.  
  
::Anita: Never mind, you don't have to tell me. I didn't mean to pry.  
  
After considering it for a second, Dwayne nods.  
  
::Dwayne: Nah, you're cool. I can tell you.   
  
With an appreciative smile, she leans back and gets ready to listen. Dwayne puts his elbows up on the table and begins.   
  
::Dwayne: I grew up in New York. It was a bad neighborhood, in a bad time for black people.   
  
We see a child version of Dwayne looking outside his window to see a black man being roughly pinned to a cop car and handcuffed.  
  
::Dwayne: I also got to see a lot of good change for us.  
  
As a teenager, he and his family gather around their small, monochrome TV to see news coverage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 being passed.  
  
::Dwayne: By the time I was a man, I thought I could help that.   
  
Now only a few years younger than his current age, Dwayne is shown running across a track, lifting weights in a small gym, and rummaging through book after book on policework in a library.   
  
::Dwayne: So I decided to become a police officer. Clean up where I came from, prove that things were different.  
  
At the job interview, the captain talks at Dwayne and asks him question after question, a smug look on his face.   
  
::Dwayne: I got an interview, but it turned out he wasn't interested in my help. He just put me down, treated me like I was worth less 'cause of the color of my skin.  
  
Disparaged, he gloomily looks down at the ground as he plods forward.  
  
::Dwayne: By the time my man Abe came around, I was just so excited that anyone would want my help. Took the job the second he offered it.  
  
Back at the table, Anita frowns and sighs deeply.   
  
::Anita: I never knew...I'm so sorry, Dwayne.   
  
He shrugs it off and finishes his panini, back to his same old self, while she continues to think about it.  
  
::Anita: Have you ever thought about applying again? Leaving the branch?  
  
Dwayne laughs for a second but shakes his head.  
  
:Dwayne: No way. Never had the courage for it.   
  
Amazed that she's seeing such a personal side of Dwayne, she stays silent and picks up her drink, taking a last sip of it. Out of nowhere, he speaks up.   
  
::Dwayne: So why haven't you asked her out yet?  
  
The reaper chokes on her soda, clutching her chest in shock. After swallowing it and blushing deeply, she raises an eyebrow.  
  
::Anita: How did you know I liked Belle?  
  
Baffled, he squints at her and she scratches the back of her neck sheepishly.  
  
::Dwayne: C'mon, girl, everyone sees the way you look at her. Even Kevin.  
  
She looks away, obviously embarrassed by this piece of knowledge.  
  
::Anita: Well, I dunno. My reason for being scared is pretty damn stupid compared to yours.  
  
He wags his finger in reply and narrows his eyes.   
  
::Dwayne: I told you my story, you gotta tell me yours.   
  
Anita grunts but nods, beginning to explain.   
  
::Anita: Considering my status as a single, middle class woman in my mid 20s, it might surprise you to learn that I wasn't always this cool.  
  
A teenage Anita is shown walking down the hall of a high school, with unkempt hair, visible braces, and a My Chemical Romance shirt.  
  
::Anita: I was a dorky teenager who was confused about how I felt and what I wanted.  
  
In front of the lockers, we see her interacting with a tall, cute redhead.  
  
::Anita: I had had crushes before, but I got my first big one on one of my friends. I'd never crushed on a girl before, and I had no idea how she'd react, but I couldn't keep it in. It was driving me crazy.  
  
While the two are alone and outside the school, Anita confesses her infatuation, clearly shocking her friend.  
  
::Anita: She wasn't into me, which was okay. The bad part is how it ruined our friendship...things were just different after. Losing one of my friends hurt, if that happened with my best friend, I'd be destroyed.  
  
Dwayne strokes his chin and nods slowly.  
  
::Dwayne: So you're not even gonna try?  
  
Anita rubs her head and breathes out, frustrated.  
  
::Anita: How can I? I'm terrified.   
  
Their lunches finished, he stands up and expertly tosses their trash into a can far away without looking. This distracts her, but her eyes go back to him as he responds.   
  
::Dwayne: You can't let stuff in the past stop you from taking risks. I was so scared of bein' humiliated again that I never followed my dream. You still have a chance to tell that girl how you feel, but you might not always.   
  
He walks away as she lets this piece of advice set in, clearly deep in thought about it.

* * *

In the late afternoon, the two stand in front of a spirit with a blank stare on their face hovering over a body.   
  
::Spirit: So I'm really dead...I can't believe this.  
  
They sympathetically nod as the spirit starts to fearfully shake.  
  
::Spirit: I don't even know if this is real or some dying dream! Oh god, what if this is just some delusion that's going to end?!  
  
Dwayne opens his mouth but Anita speaks before he can.   
  
::Anita: It's not a dream. You're going to be alright, okay?   
  
It quickly shakes it's head, distraught over facing death.  
  
::Spirit: How am I going to be alright?! I'm dead, any second now I could just...fade away. Into nothing. I'm not ready. I can't do it.  
  
She puts her scythe behind her back, not wanting to upset the spirit any more.   
  
::Anita: Or you could go to a place even better than here. You won't know until you come along.  
  
Becoming slightly more still, it looks to Anita with concern.  
  
::Spirit: I...I know it could work out...but I'm so scared.  
  
Anita smiles faintly and nods, slowly presenting her scythe as Dwayne watches carefully.  
  
::Anita: We can't let fear stop us from taking opportunities. You have a really good one you're not gonna want to pass up.  
  
Convinced by her argument, the spirit looks away and takes a deep breath.  
  
::Spirit: O-Okay...I can...I can do this...  
  
Lightly touching the tip of the scythe, it disappears. Following a brief period of silence, Dwayne smiles at his coworker.  
  
::Dwayne: Nice job, Muertes.   
  
She proudly grins and extends her hand, the other reaper shaking it.   
  
::Anita: I just gave him the advice that I'm going to take. You're right, I have to tell her now before she finds someone. If I don't, I'll always regret it.   
  
Looking impressed, he nods and does a thumbs-up.  
  
::Dwayne: You got this thing.  
  
Anita chuckles nervously and looks away, before her eyes go wide and she points to the side.  
  
::Anita: Oh yeah! Look over there!  
  
Intrigued, he looks over only to find nothing. When he looks back, she's behind him.   
  
::Dwayne: Got the hang of that trick, huh?   
  
She modestly nods with a smirk, the two walking off together towards the setting sun.  
  
::Anita: I'm going to tell her how I feel tomorrow.  
  
The scene cuts to a sick Anita laying in bed, coughing and sneezing as she dizzily looks over at the clock.  
  
::Anita: Okay...I suppose I can tell her when I get over this cold...  
  
She blows her nose loudly as the episode ends.


	6. Episode 12: Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle helps Will get ready to ask someone out.

Inside a dimly lit, barely decorated bedroom, Will wakes up. He turns on his bedside lamp and winces at the light, covering his eyes.  
  
::Will: Oh, Christ.  
  
He gets up slowly, his back facing the camera. Inside his bathroom, Will shaves his five o' clock shadow and sighs. We then cut to him putting on his jacket and getting inside his scuffed up 1930s era car, which is jet black but spotted with mud and rust.  
  
::Will: I'm gonna man up and do it.  
  
In traffic, he shakes his head. Somehow, his light facial hair is already back.  
  
::Will: No, I'm not.  
  
As he walks into his place of work, he nods quickly and puts his hands in his pockets.  
  
::Will: Yes, I am.   
  
Inside the office, Belle looks around with a disappointed frown. Abe stands outside his office, eating from a box of donuts.  
  
::Belle: Sir, is Anita coming in today?  
  
He shakes his head and wipes his mouth, getting an obscene amount of frosting stuck in his facial hair.  
  
::Abe: No, she called out sick.  
  
She nods slowly as Will steps out of the elevator and heads down the hall. He looks at Abe with a perplexed expression.  
  
::Will: Why are you...why is there...nevermind, I don't wanna know.  
  
Abe shrugs and goes into his office. Will's eyes sweep the room before he takes a deep breath.  
  
::Belle: Are you okay, Will?  
  
He strokes his chin before turning to her.  
  
::Will: Yeah...yeah, I'm okay. It's just...I think I'm gonna ask Cassidy out on a date.  
  
The blonde beams as she hugs Will tightly, nearly knocking him over.

* * *

Belle tugs Will into the break room by his sleeve, Kevin not far behind them. Not seeing him, Belle slams the door before he can come inside, causing him to knock into it and fall down.  
  
::Belle: That is huge news, Will!  
  
Will scratches the back of his neck.  
  
::Will: I mean...I guess so.  
  
He sits down at a table while she leans against the counter.  
  
::Belle: You guess so? Will, sweetie, you haven't been out on a date in decades.  
  
The accountant simply shrugs in reply.  
  
::Will: You're right. Not since...her. But I think I'm ready. It's been more than enough time...I oughta do it. I like him and I think we'd have a good time.  
  
She claps jubilantly, a huge smile on her face.   
  
::Belle: I'm glad you think so too!  
  
He rubs his forehead and sighs, looking up at his close friend.  
  
::Will: How am I supposed to handle this, though? The word sex hadn't been invented yet when I was born. That's how old I am.  
  
She shakes her head and walks over, putting her hand on his shoulder.  
  
::Belle: Don't worry! I know how young people date. Even though I haven't been on one since she got here...  
  
Will raises an eyebrow at her trailing off, but she quickly waves it away.  
  
::Belle: Anyways! We're gonna get you ready to ask Cass out on a date! It's gonna be amazing!  
  
He shows a small smile and nods. We cut to her circling around Will, looking him over.  
  
::Will: Belle, I appreciate your expertise, but what the hell are you doing?  
  
She grabs the tip of Will's hat and takes it off of him.  
  
::Will: This doesn't feel right. Put it back on.  
  
She shakes her head and puts it behind her back.  
  
::Belle: Stop hiding your hair! It's very nice, I'll have you know.  
  
He crosses his arms and grunts. We see her holding a set of note cards, looking down at them.  
  
::Belle: And the phrase "going steady" is...  
  
Will thinks it over for a few seconds before answering.  
  
::Will: Not a thing anymore.  
  
She puts her hands in the air and cheers.  
  
::Belle: Yay!  
  
Dwayne stands in front of Will alongside Belle, a comb in hand.  
  
::Dwayne: I could've been a barber, man.  
  
Will opens his mouth to say something, but opts to stay silent instead.   
  
::Belle: Can you do anything for him?  
  
Dwayne nods and steps forward. He looks his hair over and thinks about it, Will becoming visibly uncomfortable.  
  
::Will: Uh, not to rush you, but...  
  
He then combs his hair in several ways, making it curly, pointed, and even into an afro. Belle and Dwayne look at each other in disgust upon seeing the last style, with Dwayne putting it down as it was before.  
  
::Belle: Perfect!  
  
The two sit at the table together, mulling over something.  
  
::Will: We could ask Maria for advice?  
  
She shakes her head and frowns.  
  
::Belle: That Warlords guy broke up with her. She doesn't need to talk about romance right now.  
  
Belle puts her elbow on the table and her chin on her fist.  
  
::Belle: Hmm...Kevin?  
  
Will laughs loudly at this suggestion, with Belle narrowing her eyes.  
  
::Belle: Hey! Don't be mean!  
  
He raises his hands and quiets down, though a snicker or two still escapes.  
  
::Belle: Well...I think you're just about ready, Will.  
  
He smiles gratefully and nods, standing up and breathing deeply.

* * *

Belle looks up from her desk to see that Will isn't as his. She raises her eyebrows and stands up, walking over to where the accountants sit. She turns her head to Cassidy, who's hard at work.  
  
::Belle: Cass, have you seen Will?  
  
He shakes his head and frowns at her.  
  
::Cassidy: He got up in a hurry and I haven't seen him since he left. I hope he's okay!  
  
She sighs and nods, walking away. Outside the building's back entrance, Will is sitting on a step, his face in his hand. He turns his attention to her and exhales.   
  
::Will: I can't do it, Belle. I'm too scared. Can you imagine if he says no? It'll be so awkward, and I don't want that for him.  
  
Belle folds her arms and shakes her head.  
  
::Belle: No. You don't want that for you.   
  
His expression turns to one of surprise as she puts her hand on his cheek.  
  
::Belle: I love you, Will. You're family to me. That's why I'm not going to let you get comfortable in your unhappiness.   
  
She takes his hand and pulls him up, with him watching her in shock.  
  
::Belle: Now go and ask Cass out. You damn well owe it to yourself.  
  
He nods and smiles softly, walking into the building. She stands there with a proud grin before the look on her face becomes one of regret.  
  
::Belle: Somebody has to take the chance.  
  
Will visits Cassidy's desk, which catches the blond's attention.  
  
::Cassidy: Hi, Will! I'm glad to see you're okay.  
  
He chuckles and nods, pulling his jacket tighter.  
  
::Will: Yeah, I'm fine now. I just had to do something.  
  
Cassidy looks back down, with Will taking a deep breath.  
  
::Will: Hey...would you maybe wanna go to dinner with me? Tonight?  
  
A joyous smile overcomes his face as he nods enthusiastically.  
  
::Cassidy: I'd love to!   
  
Will tries to hide his excitement as he replies.  
  
::Will: Great.   
  
He turns over to Belle, who's just getting back, and gives her a thumbs-up with a goofy look on his face. She proudly returns the gesture and grin.

* * *

At the end of the day, Belle looks over at the clock on the wall and speaks up.  
  
::Belle: Okay, everybody! We can go!  
  
They all cheer and quickly rush to leave their job. Will and Cassidy walk together, over to her desk.  
  
::Cassidy: Where's Abe?  
  
She points to his office, where he's clutching his stomach and groaning.   
  
::Belle: He ordered too many donuts for the office and decided that he had to eat them all.  
  
Cassidy squints his eyes, perplexed.  
  
::Belle: He does that sometimes.  
  
Will nods before looking down at his date, the two of them smiling.   
  
::Belle: Alright, have fun!   
  
Cassidy hooks his arm in Will's, to the older man's pleasant surprise.  
  
::Cassidy: I think we will.  
  
Inside a high-end restaurant, the two sit across from each other, the blond looking around in astonishment.  
  
::Cassidy: This is...really nice, Will. You didn't have to.  
  
Will shrugs and sips from a wine glass.  
  
::Will: I kinda had a lot of date money stored.  
  
The blond laughs and beams, turning his head to the side.  
  
::Cassidy: How did you know I was going to say yes?  
  
He sets his glass down and shakes his head.  
  
::Will: I didn't. I just...like you. A lot. And I had a little push from a friend.  
  
A blush comes onto the younger man's face.  
  
::Cassidy: I like you too, Will. I kind of thought I made that obvious.  
  
The accountant sheepishly rubs his neck.  
  
::Will: I'm kinda bad with, y'know, feelings.  
  
Cassidy puts his chin on his hand and smiles.  
  
::Cassidy: Me too. So let's figure them out together.  
  
The accountants raise their glasses and clink them together happily.  
  
::Will: Deal.   
  
The next day, we see Cassidy walk into the Historic Funeral Museum, a grin on his face and a skip in his step. Anita runs to catch up with him, panting. She looks at his face with a raised eyebrow.  
  
::Anita: What's got you in such a good mood?  
  
Cassidy shrugs, the two of them walking together in silence for a few seconds before he suddenly blurts out the answer, causing her to clutch her chest in shock.  
  
::Cassidy: I went on a date last night! With Will!  
  
A wide smile comes onto her face as the two of them approach the elevator.   
  
::Anita: That's great news, Cass. I'm really happy for you two.  
  
He turns his head towards her before pushing a button to open the elevator.  
  
::Cassidy: Do you have any plans?  
  
Anita chuckles and nods, an optimistic look on her face as they step inside.  
  
::Anita: Yeah. I'm gonna tell someone something I should've told them a long time ago.  
  
The elevator doors close before the episode goes to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for supporting me through an entire year of writing Reapers Inc.! It's been an amazing experience so far, and I can't wait to continue telling this story.


	7. Episode 13: Time in a Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita and Cassidy spend time together while trapped in an elevator.

The episode opens on Anita waking up in bed and Cassidy standing with Will outside the restaurant, the screen split in half to show both.  
  
::Cassidy: Thank you for a great night, Will.  
  
The older man smiles proudly, shrugging the compliment off.  
  
::Will: Aww, it was nothing.  
  
The blond kisses his date on the cheek, causing Will to blush deeply.  
  
::Cassidy: It was lovely.  
  
Meanwhile Anita takes a deep breath, a relieved grin coming onto her face when she realizes that she's not sick anymore.  
  
::Anita: Alright, Anita. Let's go.  
  
As she sits up and grabs her phone and earbuds off the table, he drives home with an excited look on his face.  
  
::Cassidy: That really was amazing.  
  
She turns on La Roux's "Bulletproof" and stretches. In the car, Cassidy's joyous expression fades into a worried frown.  
  
::Cassidy: Yeah...yeah...  
  
While wearing a loose shirt and running pants, she jogs outside and breathes in and out.  
  
::Cassidy: Amazing.  
  
He shakes his fears off and puts a smile on. Back in her house, Anita puts on her bright red tie and straightens it.  
  
::Anita: No backing down this time. Dwayne's right, I have to do this now while I still can.  
  
They concurrently drive to work, Cassidy in a sleek red convertible and Anita in an older, less flattering blue car. While his ride is peaceful, she's frequently stopped by red lights or swerving cars.  
  
::Anita: I swear this is the universe punishing me for having some courage...  
  
Their parts of the screen converge as Anita sees Cassidy walk into the building. After running to catch up with him, breathing heavily, she looks at his face with a raised eyebrow.  
  
::Anita: What's got you in such a good mood?  
  
Cassidy shrugs, the two of them walking together in silence for a few seconds before he suddenly blurts out the answer, causing her to clutch her chest in shock.  
  
::Cassidy: I went on a date last night! With Will!  
  
A wide smile comes onto her face as the two of them approach the elevator.  
  
::Anita: That's great news, Cass. I'm really happy for you two.  
  
He turns his head towards her before pushing a button to open it.  
  
::Cassidy: Do you have any plans?  
  
Anita chuckles and nods, an optimistic look on her face as they step inside.  
  
::Anita: Yeah. I'm gonna tell someone something I should've told them a long time ago.  
  
The elevator doors close as Anita reaches over, tapping the buttons that'll send them up to the office. They stand there somewhat awkwardly as it begins to climb the floors.  
  
::Cassidy:...Who?  
  
Before she can reply, the elevator comes to an abrupt stop, knocking them both onto their backsides.  
  
::Anita: Oh, great. The universe really is punishing me.  
  
He raises an eyebrow and opens his mouth, confused at that comment.

* * *

She leans on the wall, talking through it to a maintenance worker.  
  
::Worker: Looks like it just got stuck. We should have it up and running pretty soon, two hours at the most.  
  
Anita sighs and nods, Cassidy seated across from her.  
  
::Anita: Okay, thanks!  
  
She slumps down as well, scratching the back of her neck.  
  
::Anita: Well, this sucks.  
  
He chuckles and smiles, shrugging.  
  
::Cassidy: It kinda does.  
  
They sit in silence for a few moments before she breaks it.  
  
::Anita: So...you and Will, huh?  
  
His smile falters for a second before he clears his throat.  
  
::Cassidy: Did you see it coming?  
  
She rests her head against the wall and grins.  
  
::Anita: Definitely. Will's not the type to show emotion unless he really likes a person.  
  
Cassidy tilts his head to the side.  
  
::Cassidy: Could you tell I liked him?  
  
Anita raises an eyebrow in reply.  
  
::Anita: I'm pretty good at noticing when people have a crush.  
  
The blond shifts and stretches, the two of them both seeming to realize that they don't have much to talk about.  
  
::Anita: Does this feel kind of weird?  
  
He looks to the side, sheepishly nodding.  
  
::Cassidy: Yeah.  
  
As time passes, the two of them try to entertain themselves. Anita fidgets with her tie, Cassidy plays on his phone, but they both end up thinking things over for a majority of the time the spent there. She finally speaks up.  
  
::Anita: You two are going to make a great couple, by the way.  
  
He grimaces and shakes his head slowly.  
  
::Cassidy: I...I'm not so sure.  
  
Her eyes go wide in surprise and confusion.  
  
::Anita: What?  
  
Cassidy sighs sadly and stands up.  
  
::Cassidy: Our date was delightful. And I do like Will, I really do.  
  
She gets to her feet to meet him.  
  
::Anita: So why lead him on like that?  
  
He frowns and raises his hands.  
  
::Cassidy: I wasn't! I'm trying to save the both of us.  
  
She narrows her eyes and crosses her arms.  
  
::Anita: How is quitting on something before even giving it a chance saving you two?  
  
He rubs his forehead and groans.  
  
::Cassidy: It's just...I wasn't the one who asked Will out. He asked me. And I said yes, and I meant it, but I don't know if I'm ready. I don't want to get my heart broken and have to lose a friend too. I can't do that again.  
  
The reaper puts her hand on his shoulder.  
  
::Anita: So are you just going to live your life without ever taking a risk?  
  
Offended, he backs up against the wall.  
  
::Cassidy: Why do you care so much anyways?!  
  
She turns away from him and looks down.  
  
::Anita: He's my friend and I care about him. I care about you too.  
  
He also moves to face the wall, looking conflicted.  
  
::Cassidy: I appreciate it, but I wasn't asking for your advice.  
  
This ends their argument, the two of them looking away from each other and becoming quiet.

* * *

Meanwhile, Belle repeatedly looks at the door, worried. Abe pokes his head out from his office.  
  
::Abe: Uh, Belle, can I have you in my office?  
  
She nods, faking a happy look, and heads over to the manager. He sits at his desk, showing her his computer.  
  
::Belle: What's the problem, sir?  
  
Her boss points at the screen, his eyebrows furrowed. On the screen is an instant messenger site from the 1990s.  
  
::Abe: I'm trying to find Anita's username so I can ask why she's late.  
  
Baffled, she closes the page and puts her hands on her hips.  
  
::Belle: Sir...nobody has used IM in decades.  
  
He slams his fist against his desk in frustration.  
  
::Abe: Why does technology move so damn fast?!  
  
She takes out her phone and looks down at it. Inside the elevator, Anita's phone has several notifications from Belle (who's marked as Hot Blonde), but her ringer is off.  
  
::Belle: I wonder where she is. Hey...isn't Cassidy late too?  
  
He grunts and nods in reply.  
  
::Abe: There's no excuse for him. Anita was sick, but I know Brits have magical ways to cure that stuff.  
  
Although she's perplexed, she waves it away and heads outside, with Abe following behind her. They go to Will's desk, with the man looking distressed himself.  
  
::Belle: Anita's late too. Have you tried texting Cass?  
  
He strokes his chin and shakes his head.  
  
::Will: The internet said you should wait a few days after a date. What if he's just busy with something and I come on too strong?  
  
Will turns his head, causing the others to do the same so they can see what he's looking at. Dwayne is standing there in silence, which causes both of them to jolt.  
  
::Dwayne: I heard Muertes and Blondie were late.  
  
The accountant raises one of his eyebrows.  
  
::Will: Let me guess, you know why?  
  
He motions for them to follow him, with the three doing so. He leads them to the elevator and pats it.  
  
::Dwayne: I called downstairs, the elevator is stuck. Shouldn't have called in those damn maintenance workers, I could've fixed it by now for free.  
  
Belle and Abe are unfazed, but Will seems surprised.  
  
::Will: Could you just do any job?  
  
He thinks it over before nodding.  
  
::Dwayne: Probably.  
  
Back in the elevator, the two of them are no longer angry, but they still have their backs to each other.  
  
::Cassidy: You never told me who you were planning on talking to.  
  
They turn to each other, a small smile on her face.  
  
::Anita: It's...umm, Belle. I kind of have a huge crush on her and a friend made me realize I had to act on it before it was too late.  
  
This clearly shocks the accountant.  
  
::Cassidy: Belle? Really?  
  
She laughs and grins, nodding at him.  
  
::Anita: Yeah. I was told it was obvious.  
  
He smiles back and scratches his head.  
  
::Cassidy: Well, I'm not always the most perceptive person.  
  
The blond breathes out and rubs his eyes.  
  
::Cassidy: Aren't you scared? I've seen how close you two are...what if this ruins that?  
  
Anita's smile leaves her face for a moment, but she shakes her head and it comes back.  
  
::Anita: The thing is, I am scared. Terrified. But I've spent almost all of my life making the safe decisions. Getting a boring degree, working at a steady job, staying in one place. I'm ready to take a huge risk if it has even the smallest chance of making me happier.  
  
Inspired by this, he exhales and beams at her.  
  
::Cassidy: You know what...if you can tell Belle how you feel, I'll give this relationship with Will a fair shot. We can be brave together. Deal?  
  
Her face brightened up by this, they shake hands.  
  
::Anita: Deal.  
  
The elevator suddenly starts up again, the two of them falling down once more. They laugh together, optimistic about the future.

* * *

The doors open on the office, Anita and Cassidy walking down the hallway together. Their paths diverge, with Cassidy heading over to Will's desk. This brings a smile to the older man's face.  
  
::Will: Oh hey, Cass. I was starting to get w-  
  
The blond puts his hands on Will's shoulders and kisses him deeply. This causes him to turn bright red, but he wraps his arms around Cassidy and kisses him back. After a few seconds, they pull away, Cassidy blushing lightly and smiling.  
  
::Cassidy: You wanna get dinner again tonight?  
  
He swallows and nods eagerly.  
  
::Will: Uh...yeah. I'd love to.  
  
Anita walks to Belle's desk, but finds that she's not sitting there. Kevin walks by with a cup of coffee in hand.  
  
::Anita: Have you seen Belle?  
  
He turns to her and gestures to the break room.  
  
::Kevin: She got a call and went in there. Must've been something really serious.  
  
She nods quickly, walking over there. He smiles to himself.  
  
::Kevin: Wow, a nice interaction with someone. Today might be my day after all.  
  
He heads back to his desk and trips, spilling coffee all over himself and groaning.  
  
::Kevin: Why me?  
  
Belle opens the door and slowly walks out, looking shocked. Her eyeliner is running, signifying that she had been crying, which visibly concerns Anita.  
  
::Anita: Are you okay, Belle?  
  
She shakes her head and starts sobbing, pulling her best friend into a tight hug. Dwayne, Will, Cassidy, and Abe all look over at the two in confusion before the episode cuts to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one episode left, and trust me, it's a crazy one.


	8. Episode 14: Post Trauma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A figure from the past awakens painful memories for Belle, leaving Anita to comfort her.

Darkness covers the screen, until it fades in to show Belle's house from the outside. Everything is seen in black and white, with birds chirping as a drum beat starts playing. Inside her house, she's putting on lipstick and talking on a 1940s era phone.

::Belle: Abe's really thinking of hiring a lady reaper? That's great. I'm a little jealous, though.

A simple piano riff comes in as she curls her hair with a comb.

::Belle: I gotta go too, Will. Good luck with work.

He says something that makes her smile and laugh, before she puts the phone down. A clarinet accompanies the other instruments, creating a jazzy song. Belle sings to herself.

::Belle: I love you...for sentimental reasons...

She drives down the street in her car, the song building to something. After parking in front of a small apartment, she gets out to find a woman around her age waiting by the door.

::Belle: Hi, Lily!

Lily has pale skin, dark curly hair, and a beautiful dress on. Belle looks down at her own outfit, a jacket and jeans, and sheepishly smiles.

::Belle: I didn't know you were gonna dress so fancy.

The other woman waves it away and smirks, opening the door for her friend.

::Lily: Oh, you look great. Come on in.

She steps inside the house alongside Lily, with the brunette closing the door behind them. They both turn to meet the other's eyes before kissing deeply. Trumpets come in, the music swelling with emotion.

::Belle: I really wish we could do that in public.

Her girlfriend laughs, taking her hand and leading her to the table where a candle lit dinner has been prepared.

::Lily: Me too. But this is still pretty perfect.

The blonde seats herself and grins at Lily, who sits across from her.

::Belle: It really is.

As we cut to black, the music suddenly ceases.

* * *

Back at her desk, Belle looks up at the elevator doors to see if Anita and Cassidy are there yet. Her phone rings, and when she looks down at it, she finds that whoever's calling her isn't a contact.

::Belle: I never should've let Abe use this to order things...

She stands up and walks into the break room, answering the phone. We see that on the other side, a somber looking young woman is calling the secretary.

::Woman: Umm...hey, is this Belle Donna?

Surprised, Belle nods to herself.

::Belle: Yes it is. Who's this, if I may ask?

The woman paces back and forth inside her house.

::Woman: My name is Daisy Bas.

Her eyes widen and she opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.

::Daisy: My grandmother Lily...she wanted you to be at her funeral. She never told me how you two knew each other, but she made me promise I'd get you there.

Belle swallows and struggles to choke out a reply.

::Belle: I...I...

Daisy sighs and shakes her head.

::Daisy: I'm sorry if you don't remember her. For all I know, you could've been her nurse for a week. Her mind got a little foggy near the end. But she...she said you were important to her.

She has to sit down after that, tears welling up in her eyes.

::Belle: I...yes, I remember her. I'll be there, just...text me the details.

The young woman clears her throat.

::Daisy: Okay, will do. Thank you.

She hangs up and Belle sets her phone down on the table. She stares forward for a few seconds before tears stream down her face.

::Belle: I can't do this, I can't.

The normally cheery woman puts her face in her hands, trying to catch her breath as she cries.

::Belle: Lily...I am so sorry.

A few minutes later, Belle opens the door and slowly walks out, her eyeliner running. She sees Anita approaching, visibly concerned.

::Anita: Are you okay, Belle?

She shakes her head and starts sobbing, pulling her best friend into a tight hug. Dwayne, Will, Cassidy, and Abe all look over at the two in confusion, while Anita hugs back.

::Anita: What's wrong?

The blonde blinks several times, seeing how worried her friends are. She wipes her eyes and shakes her head.

::Belle: It's just some...uh, personal stuff. I'm being overdramatic, don't worry about me.

As if nothing had ever happened, she walks back to her desk and sits down, Anita looking stunned.

::Anita: What just happened?

Later, Belle's friends are gathered in the break room.

::Dwayne: Something big musta went down with Belle. A week later and she's still in a funk.

Will exhales deeply, his arm around Cassidy.

::Will: I've known her since she started working here. I don't think she's ever been like this.

His boyfriend frowns and leans on the taller man.

::Cassidy: I'm so worried about her. She's been nothing but sweet to me, she doesn't deserve this.

Abe looks out the room's window at her. She's hard at work, bags around her eyes.

::Abe: I know what this is. It may be hard for you all to believe, but I feel things deeply too.

They all share a knowing look which he's oblivious to.

::Abe: Burying yourself in work and pretending like nothing's wrong is a classic move. I've pulled it before. More than once.

Dwayne strokes his chin in thought.

::Dwayne: Mhm. She needs someone close to talk her out of it.

The group instantly turns to Anita, who looks around the room.

::Anita: Me?

Everyone nods at the same time, Will raising his hands.

::Will: You're obviously her best friend. If anyone's going to help, it'd be you.

Anita runs her hands through her hair nervously.

::Anita: But what if I screw up? I don't wanna make it wor-

Before she can even finish the sentence, Dwayne disapprovingly shakes his head at her. She groans in response.

::Anita: I know you're right. I'll go talk to her.

After Anita's left the room, she sees Belle going to the elevator for her break. She runs to catch up with her, but the doors have already closed by the time she gets there.

::Anita: I really didn't think this would happen.

On the staircase behind the building, the blonde is leaning against the wall and bawling. When she realizes that someone is behind her, she sniffles and holds it in, turning her head to see Anita.

::Belle: O-Oh, hi, Annie...

Anita waves cautiously and smiles softly, sitting next to her best friend.

::Anita: I'm worried about you, Belle.

As the reaper puts her hand on Belle's, the secretary shakes her head.

::Belle: Don't be! I'm fine, I swear.

She raises an eyebrow, with the other woman seeing that Anita clearly knows something's wrong.

::Belle: Okay, I'm not fine. But I...I just don't know how to face it. Or ask for help.

Anita wraps her arm around Belle and softly rubs her shoulder.

::Anita: Just tell me what happened. I'm a pretty good listener.

She takes a deep breath and nods.

::Belle: After the war, I had this friend. Her name was Lily.

In a black and white flashback, the two meet at the hospital, Belle being the other woman's nurse.

::Belle: We...we fell in love. This was during a time when you couldn't really be open about that sort of thing.

The two passionately kiss on a street corner at night, no one else around.

::Belle: I told her about my job. She was a little freaked out, but that didn't change anything for her. She was the kind of person who would love you no matter what.

They sit on Belle's bed, holding hands and talking.

::Belle: The two of us went steady for a while...but eventually, she wanted me to give up the job. Spend the rest of my life with her.

Lily gets down on one knee, pulling out a ring.

::Belle: But I was afraid. Terrified of not being able to find another job that could support us, of us being found out, of...that kind of commitment.

Not knowing what to say, Belle's eyes linger on the ring. The dark haired woman starts to get nervous.

::Belle: So I told her I couldn't. She broke it off with me. We weren't in the same place anymore.

In the present, Anita sympathetically looks at her friend, comfortingly holding her close.

::Anita: I'm so sorry.

The scene cuts to Belle, dressed in black, attending the funeral as rain pours down with a blank expression on her face.

::Belle: All these years later, I get a call from her granddaughter. She wanted me at her funeral. She had a wife who had passed, a daughter, grandchildren...but she never forgot about me. I was wrecked.

Belle starts to cry again, burying her face in Anita's neck.

::Belle: I'm still wrecked. I can't make it stop.

Anita softly strokes the blonde's hair.

::Anita: Then don't.

This causes the secretary to look up at her friend in confusion.

::Belle: W-What?

The reaper looks into Belle's eyes.

::Anita: Don't make it stop. Let yourself grieve openly. You can't run from this, you have to face it. You have to accept what happened and let yourself feel that. Trust me, it's the only way to deal with loss that works.

Belle lets out a chuckle.

::Belle: I don't think I'm supposed to cry at my desk.

Anita smiles and shakes her head.

::Anita: Oh, come on, Abe must owe you some vacation time.

She nods, the two of them sitting in silence for a moment.

::Anita: I think Lily would've wanted to you be happy. She clearly cared about you and knew you'd always have a place for her in your heart. Why else would she have you there?

Belle sadly turns to the side.

::Belle: I don't think I deserve to be happy.

Anita squeezes her arm softly.

::Anita: You said you two weren't in the same place. But she found someone who was and lived a long, happy life. You owe it to her to let yourself do the same.

Looking back, she nods slowly and hugs her best friend.

::Belle: Thank you, Annie. Thank you so much.

A light blush on her face, Anita shrugs.

::Anita: Thank you, Belle. For everything.

The two stay there peacefully as the scene ends.

* * *

The next day, Belle wakes up in bed and grabs her phone from her bedside table. The screen shows that it's the first of the month.

::Belle: Okay. Day one.

She starts crying while at her kitchen table, but rather than suppress it, she lets it all out. The calendar marks that it's the third.

::Belle: Just gotta...let myself grieve...

We see her looking out her window to a nearby park before the scene cuts to her jogging in it. She checks the time on her phone, telling us it's the seventh.

::Belle: I really missed being outside.

A montage shows her returning to work on the eighth, welcomed back by her coworkers and one of Abe's parties. On the fifteenth, she visits Lily's grave and leaves a flower there. On the 30th, she sits at her desk during the afternoon, back to her usual self.

::Anita: Hey, Belle...I was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink after work.

Belle looks up to see Anita there and grins.

::Belle: I'd love to!

That evening, the two are in a bar, everyone but the bartender already having cleared out. Anita has a wine cooler while Belle has a beer.

::Belle: I feel like I'm ready to date again. It's...been a while.

The reaper slowly nods as Belle takes a swig of her drink.

::Belle: I think I'd do it right this time.

Anita grunts quietly in reply, sipping from her bottle.

::Belle: I just don't know who I'd-

Her best friend interrupts her suddenly.

::Anita: I'm in love with you.  
  
Belle's eyes go wide as she looks at her in shock.  
  
::Anita: I've been in love with you for so, so long. You're sweet and funny and beautiful and one of the best people I've ever known in my life. This might ruin our friendship, and that would kill me, but I can't hold it in anymore. I have to be honest with you, and I know you don't feel the same way, but-

A joyous smile slowly comes onto the blonde's face as she realizes what Anita's saying.

::Belle: I do.

This stops Anita, who looks at Belle in confusion.

::Anita: What?

Tears of happiness in her eyes, Belle laughs and grins.

::Belle: I do feel the same way. I'm in love with you too, Annie.

The two wrap their arms around each other and finally kiss. They hold it for a long time before slowly pulling away. Anita, who's clearly just as ecstatic as Belle, breathes out.

::Anita: Okay...wow.

The other woman scratches the back of her neck, her face flushed.

::Belle: Looks like we have a lot to talk about.

Anita smiles and nods, raising her drink.

::Anita: Yeah...and I'm excited for every bit of it.

Belle beams and giggles, the two clinking their beverages together.

* * *

Sometime later, the office is shown at night. Everyone has left except for Anita, Belle, Abe, Dwayne, Will, and Cassidy, who are all finishing up their work for the day. Sixpence None The Richer's "Breathe Your Name" begins playing.

::Anita: Hey, Belle.

This prompts Belle to turn her attention upwards, with Anita pressing a soft kiss to her lips. This catches the attention of everyone else, causing them all to look over.

::Anita: Oh yeah, we...kinda have an announcement to make.

The secretary stands up and puts her arm around the reaper.

::Belle: Annie and I are dating!

They all cheer in celebration, though Abe seems a bit perplexed.

::Abe: Wait...I thought Anita was into guys.

Will sighs and rubs his forehead.

::Will: Abe, I explained this to you already.

The manager searches his mind for a moment before raising his hand.

::Abe: Oh yeah! Well then, that's amazing!

Dwayne moves to the center of the room and opens his arms.

::Dwayne: Alright, everybody. Come on, it's group hug time.

Anita, Belle, Dwayne, and Abe come over, but Will seems a bit reluctant. Cassidy tugs him along by his tie.

::Cassidy: C'mon!

They all hug, Will and Cassidy nuzzling each other and Belle kissing her girlfriend's cheek. The episode ends by staying on the six for a few seconds before zooming out to show New York City's beautiful skyline by night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for joining me on this wild ride!


End file.
